No more Alberta Beef at Earl's

[JonDuke]

What other places also don't serve Canadian beef?
I was under the impression that the Keg doesn't, but was just told by 2 employees that they do.
I know your A&W burger isn't Canadian.
What other restaurants/chains?

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

Couldn't agree more. They are the Nickelback of food. Just re-using the same 5 or 6 ingredients in as many "dishes" as possible.

So true. Why oh why does everything need to have pizza sauce and mozzarella on it? Yeesh.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by btimbit

So true. Why oh why does everything need to have pizza sauce and mozzarella on it? Yeesh.

What, you don't like their saucy mozza salad with pizza crust croutons?

[Swift]

Some people might say that beef tastes the same regardless of which arbitrary border it lived in, but those people are fools. I only ever eat Wheatland County beef. None of that Rockyview County rubbish for me. Have you tasted that sh1t? Ugh, goddamn awful. No, Wheatland County beef is the best in the world. I've boycotted many a restaurant who refuse to serve Wheatland County beef and have written many angry letters. And don't even get me started on that Kneehill County garbage...

[Northendzone]

I am assuming that they treat their staff as humanely as the beef they buy is treated?

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

I am assuming that they treat their staff as humanely as the beef they buy is treated?

I doubt they have a priest whisper prayers into a dishwasher's ear while slitting his throat

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Cameron Swift

Some people might say that beef tastes the same regardless of which arbitrary border it lived in, but those people are fools. I only ever eat Wheatland County beef. None of that Rockyview County rubbish for me. Have you tasted that sh1t? Ugh, goddamn awful. No, Wheatland County beef is the best in the world. I've boycotted many a restaurant who refuse to serve Wheatland County beef and have written many angry letters. And don't even get me started on that Kneehill County garbage...

Honest question? Not saying your wrong as I'm ignorant on the subject but how can there be that much of a difference?

After all the 3 counties border each other in various spots, are you saying the beef in Rosebud is awesome but beef raised in Beynon is garbage? They are 2 miles apart!

Second question:

Do you raise beef for a living?

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by T@T

Honest question? Not saying your wrong as I'm ignorant on the subject but how can there be that much of a difference?

After all the 3 counties border each other in various spots, are you saying the beef in Rosebud is awesome but beef raised in Beynon is garbage? They are 2 miles apart!

Second question:

Do you raise beef for a living?

Hook, line and sinker....

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Hook, line and sinker....

shhhhh, Cameron could have dragged this on for at least a few pages.

[Fuzz]

sorry, my bad.

[Codes]

A lot of money is being poured into researching and developing methods for tracking the transmission of antibiotic resistance through bacterial populations. Overuse of antibiotics in agriculture, in addition to overuse and inappropriate use by humans is a major concern.

The ability of a bacterial population to move through the "farm to fork continuum", as we like to call it, is much easier than you might think. There is little doubt at this point that overuse of antibiotics in agriculture has resulted in the widespread dissemination of bacterial populations that are resistant to certain antibiotics.

Use of antibiotics in all regards needs to be more tightly monitored, used only when necessary, and people taking them need to use them correctly.

So to bring this back to the topic at hand, I am a proponent of limiting the use of antibiotics in agriculture. I applaud companies for taking a stand on the matter; it's one of those rare cases where a PR move may actually result in a net positive outcome for the human race. I hope this continues to push local producers towards more sustainable beef production, and rewards those who have made these (often costly) changes to their production practices.

[WCan_Kid]

This has been an interesting read. I go visit my future steaks quite often, big buggers are always hiding around blind corners on the downhill sections of the mtn bike trails I ride, so I've never really given much thought to where the industrial level of beef supply comes from.

[Swift]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

shhhhh, Cameron could have dragged this on for at least a few pages.

I was tempted to go on about quality of grass and the different air quality between Rosebud and Beynon, but I thought that might be too cruel.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Stormageddon

That's the part that makes me laugh. People apparently don't realise how astronomically expensive antibiotics are, they figure farmers like to spend money and chase down their calves to vaccinate them for fun. Antibiotics are administered to help a sick animal recover, not to prevent sickness, the idea of which makes no sense at all really.

Not true at all from my experience. Its not about doing it for fun. $2 a shot isn't a high price to pay to keep the animal healthy. It was routine to give all the calves coming off the mother shots before they went into the feedlot.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Codes

A lot of money is being poured into researching and developing methods for tracking the transmission of antibiotic resistance through bacterial populations. Overuse of antibiotics in agriculture, in addition to overuse and inappropriate use by humans is a major concern.

The ability of a bacterial population to move through the "farm to fork continuum", as we like to call it, is much easier than you might think. There is little doubt at this point that overuse of antibiotics in agriculture has resulted in the widespread dissemination of bacterial populations that are resistant to certain antibiotics.

Use of antibiotics in all regards needs to be more tightly monitored, used only when necessary, and people taking them need to use them correctly.

So to bring this back to the topic at hand, I am a proponent of limiting the use of antibiotics in agriculture. I applaud companies for taking a stand on the matter; it's one of those rare cases where a PR move may actually result in a net positive outcome for the human race. I hope this continues to push local producers towards more sustainable beef production, and rewards those who have made these (often costly) changes to their production practices.

Agreed. But I think Earls could have gone out of their way and made a bigger effort to get Alberta farmers/ranchers on board.

[para transit fellow]

Originally Posted by Azure

Agreed. But I think Earls could have gone out of their way and made a bigger effort to get Alberta farmers/ranchers on board.

From what I understand earls started down this quest for drug free beef some three years ago.

How much time did the industry need?

[vegasbound]

Originally Posted by Codes

A lot of money is being poured into researching and developing methods for tracking the transmission of antibiotic resistance through bacterial populations. Overuse of antibiotics in agriculture, in addition to overuse and inappropriate use by humans is a major concern.

The ability of a bacterial population to move through the "farm to fork continuum", as we like to call it, is much easier than you might think. There is little doubt at this point that overuse of antibiotics in agriculture has resulted in the widespread dissemination of bacterial populations that are resistant to certain antibiotics.

Use of antibiotics in all regards needs to be more tightly monitored, used only when necessary, and people taking them need to use them correctly.

So to bring this back to the topic at hand, I am a proponent of limiting the use of antibiotics in agriculture. I applaud companies for taking a stand on the matter; it's one of those rare cases where a PR move may actually result in a net positive outcome for the human race. I hope this continues to push local producers towards more sustainable beef production, and rewards those who have made these (often costly) changes to their production practices.

I agree to some extent. There was and still is to some extent an over eagerness to give antibiotics. But I don't agree with CFIA clamping down too hard.... it's more the vets handing out antibiotics like candy that I raise an eyebrow at. But at the same time, I don't want to be jumping through 5 different hoops to get a bottle of antibiotics my animal needs.

[N-E-B]

Earls is disgusting. I'm boycotting them for their mediocre overpriced food.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by vegasbound

I agree to some extent. There was and still is to some extent an over eagerness to give antibiotics. But I don't agree with CFIA clamping down too hard.... it's more the vets handing out antibiotics like candy that I raise an eyebrow at. But at the same time, I don't want to be jumping through 5 different hoops to get a bottle of antibiotics my animal needs.

Is it so much the vets or the fact that mass production is required? Feedlots are notorious for creating herd disease, so mass vaccination is usually done to try and prevent it.

Move to grassfed beef and you have less disease, but its impossible to feed the world that way. At least at this rate.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Are people this protective about other ingredients, or just beef?

Have any of you ever boycotted a restaurant because their produce, alcohol, poultry, table linens, dishes, light fixtures etc weren't supporting local suppliers?

It seems like the entire place could be "made in china", as long as they don't F with your Alberta beef!

There's good reason for that. Free trade and specialization lead to greater wealth. But if Alberta doesn't specialize in beef and oil, what the heck do we specialize in?

==============

Originally Posted by Leeman4Gilmour

Also, should anyone interested in reducing GHG emissions boycott Earl's? Importing a product to a region which has ample supply of said product isn't exactly "green".......

Transportation tends to be a pretty low component of GHGs - which is why growing things locally where they might need more fertilizer, water, a greenhouse etc. instead of where they naturally thrive to tends to be a losing proposition. (This is not the case for Alberta Beef; I'm just pointing out a general failing of the "locavore" movement.) I did read a note from a farmer suggesting that growth hormone allows the cows to grow from less food, reducing the environmental impacts of farming, which might be an interesting angle.

=================

Another thing to note is that this issue has caused Craig Chandler's resignation from the Alberta PC board, which is probably a good thing for them, after this exchange on Facebook.



Apparently Earl's beef is not halal.